A New World
by Sakurazukamori6
Summary: What if L had not died, and what if Raito had become a God of a different world? Same dynamics. LxRaito.
1. Judge, Jury, and Executioner

L's finger hovered over the channel button, stopping as the words of the newscaster caught his attention.

"It has been 2 months since the deaths linked to the mass-murderer Kira have ceased. This event coincides with a broadcast from the world-renown detective L confirming Kira's judgement at his hands and subsequent execution—and while Kira's reign of terror may be over, questions concerning his identity and his death still plague the world: Who was he? How was he able to kill so many people in such a short amount of time and at the same time cover so much ground while doing so? Was Kira a group, or a single person? We will now be replaying the broadcast confirming Kira's death:

"Good morning, good people of Japan. I am L. I am addressing you today because I have been personally invested in your state of affairs for some time now. As you may know, I have been tasked with conducting the Kira investigation, to which one of your citizens has been found unequivocally, 100 percent, guilty of crimes against humanity. This individual will receive Lethal Injection. Good people of Japan, you are free to walk the streets again, knowing that you and your loved ones are safe, but I also come bearing a warning for those of you that would seek to repeat Kira's crimes: I will not rest until you are judged and summarily executed. Do not idolize false gods. There is Justice in this world and it has rightfully been upheld. That will be all."

"And while Kira's reign of terror may be over," continued the newscaster, "questions concerning his identity still remain."

An image of Raito Yagami flashed across L's vision, unbidden: doe, brown eyes; silken, russet-colored hair; and thin but defined lips. A face as lovely and bright as the day they met. A person who was intelligent, beautiful, and…

Evil.

Absolutely evil, L had to remind himself. Raito had screamed, cried, begged for life, but knowing that L would not budge and Raito would not truly repent, he had gone to chair, composed…

...and full of hate.

The kind of hate that L had never experienced in his life, or had directed at him for that matter. It was personal, bitter, and it had left L a month later still staring into the void of his own thoughts. There had been no way to save Raito. Raito was so far gone, so demented, so…

L did not let himself finish that thought, which had been one of many treacherous and dangerous thoughts that had streamed through his consciousness during the investigation. He could only concern himself with cold hard facts. Raito was a murderer, and L had had a moral obligation to put him down like a rabid dog. When L questioned his actions during the investigation after the fact, then he was bound to run into many issues. He just needed to…

L heard what sounded like the faint flutter of wings towards his balcony, and he would have thoroughly ignored it, but the white lace curtains draping the French doors that led out to the terrace wavered strangely in the wind, as if some unseen force had disturbed it with its landing.

A cool breeze blew into the room, and L could smell a familiar scent-something that he recognized but could not quite put his finger on—like hazelnut mixed with a very faint smelling soap, but also somewhat sweet. Whatever this smell was, it had a way of going right up into L's nose and into his brain, and clouding his thoughts. Rapt, L stared at the balcony, like a man possessed.

He knew this smell. This smell had lain next to him in bed for an entire year...

L felt his body moving of its own accord towards the balcony, as if drawn forward by an unseen force, his shuffling footfalls making the already quiet in the room seem endless.

L stopped in the threshold of the French doors and could easily make out the silhouette of someone through the sheer lace of the curtains. Changing his stance to that of a defensive one, L shook himself out of his daze, confused as to why he had put himself in such a dangerous position. What had he been thinking?

"Whoever you are, I do not know what business you have with me, but you are foolish if you think I will let you go any further than this." L swiped the curtains aside and could not help but gasp at what he saw:

A winged being. Snow white from head to toe. It's head was bowed, so L could not make out its facial features, especially its eyes which were obscured by silken tresses of uneven bangs that sweep across its forehead, the hair short in the front but streaming like spun gold down his nape, the golden mane that adorned his head reflecting the almost unholy light from the full moon and shining like a golden crown upon his head.

He was perched on the stone edge-work of his balcony like a massive bird of prey, all clawed hands and talons, and statuesque in frame. He almost seemed like he had been sculpted out of marble, his muscled but lithe body so perfect that Adonis or Narcissist would have worshiped him as a god of beauty. And of course the massive feathered wings on his back, which had been drawn in towards himself and cloaked his shoulders like a cape, but had they been extended would relay a wingspan that to say was impressive was an understatement.

L knew Shinigami existed. Seeing Rem was proof of that, but whatever was standing in front of him did not seem like any regular Shinigami. It looked almost like an…

"What are you?" L asked, his eyes wider than they had ever been, his mouth slightly open.

"An Angel," the creature said, a slight chuckle in his voice.

L's eyes went wider as a familiar voice broke over his ears, the tone of speech as lilting, airy and sensual as ever.

"Or would you believe me more if I told you I was an Angel of Death?" Raito said, lifting his head, red-eyed and fanged, and smiling like the devil himself.

All the air in L's lungs dissipated as he stared at this figment of his past.

"That's the first time you've never had a comeback for me. I must be quite a sight," Raito casually said as he slipped off his perch, erecting himself to his full height, so he now towered several feet over L and cast a foreboding shadow over the detective. "Or, would you rather this?"

L blinked and the Raito that he had watched die from a heart-attack a few months before now stood before his very eyes, as fresh-faced and lovely as the first time L had laid eyes on him.

"I…" L had no words.

"There's no need for words at this point," Raito said, still smiling as he walked right up to L with a brazenness that had only really revealed itself in the last days of Raito's life. "While speech has always been our strong point, we've never had to actually speak to each other to communicate how we really feel. Isn't that right, Lawliet?"

"They turned you into a Death God?" L said in horrified disbelief, as the realization dawned on him.

"Do I look like any regular Shinigami to you?" Raito said with some spite in his voice, as if it was an insult for L to not recognize the difference. "The Shinigami King bestowed upon me the title of Judge-Baron. I'm the sole replacement for an extinct class of guards that once arbitrated over the Shinigami Realm. In other words, I'm now Judge, Jury, and Executioner over Shinigami Realm."

L felt his mouth go dry. When he had been questioning Rem about the Death Note, she had mentioned in passing about the Shinigami Realm and the King that ruled over them all, but she had never gone into specifics. If what Raito said was the truth, then there were truly no words left to convey the infinite injustice and insanity in the world when one of the most powerful beings in the universe had granted Raito, the most prolific serial killer in history, the ability to judge creatures that in turn controlled humanity so thoroughly through death.

"It would do you some good to bow to your new ruler," Raito said, and before L could move out of the way, Raito had grabbed him one-handed by the throat.

L felt the edge of claws digging into his throat, and he grabbed onto Raito's hand, trying to free himself. For him to die by the hand of the person he thought he had cast into pits of Hell itself, it was too much. It seemed futile to do anything at this point but die when his opponent was so much physically stronger than him, but L was never the type to quit or go out without a fight. He would never allow Raito the satisfaction of seeing him give up on life.

Never.

"You are still…as vexing as ever," L said through gritted teeth, the edge of his vision blurring as his oxygen was gradually being cut off. He was slowly being forced onto his knees by a stone-faced Raito, who had not even broken a sweat since they started to struggle, which was supremely disconcerting to the detective. "It does not matter how much power is bestowed upon you, or what form you are given by the forces of the universe…" L said, still struggling against the hand clamped around his throat, "it does not change the fact that your true form has always been a certain genus of female dog that walks on all fours and bites the hand that feeds it…"

Raito frowned down at him, obviously pissed at what L was calling him to his face.

"Take pride in the fact that you have won out over every mass-murdering psychopath in the world. You are truly in a class of your own," L said, coughing and chuckling at the same time, but sad that no matter what, he was fated to die by Raito's hand.

"I like how even when a Shinigami is choking you to death, you can't seem to shut your big mouth," Raito said, reaffirming his grip on L's throat. He rolled his eyes and suddenly let go, the detective crumpling over, coughing. "As much as I want to, I'm not actually here to kill you, L," Raito said snidely, and stepped over the detective like he was a mere pebble in his path. "I was sent here for another reason," Raito said, strolling right into L's hotel suite as if it now belonged to him. "You see, until I can completely fulfill my role as Judge-Baron, I have a few loose ends to take care off in this world."

L slowly pushed himself up and off the floor. Through the French doors he could see that Raito was now standing near his desk and staring down at his laptop and the sugar-cube castle right next to it, which L had been leisurely attending to as he did research for his next case.

L pressed a hand to his mouth, tasting blood, the skin on his neck feeling raw where Raito had just moments ago used him as his own personal scratching post.

If L did not go about this carefully, he was going to be killed. Raito had one hell of a temper. During the Kira case, L had seen a few instances where Raito's mask of politeness slipped and the detective was suddenly face to face with a cold-blooded killer. At the end of the case when L was forced to watch Raito absolutely lose it in his last few days of life, L could only shudder as the monster that lived inside this teenager revealed itself in its full rage.

Raito had been extremely dangerous as a human being, and L could only imagine the kind of havoc Raito could wreak upon humanity now that he was a God amongst gods.

"Then why have you come here?" L asked, getting to his feet. It might not be a good idea to get too close to Raito, but for some reason L still found himself walking towards the brunette, like a moth drawn towards a flame.

Raito sighed loudly, as if already exasperated with him. "I'm here…because the Shinigami King's right hand, Armonia Justin, wants me here. Even though I've been given the role of Judge-Baron, Armonia still doesn't trust that I won't interfere with the human world, so he feels it would be best to put…some controls in place for me."

Controls? L could not imagine what would be able to stop a Shinigami, let alone a Shinigami of supposedly Raito's class. But more importantly, what did any of this have to do with L? Why would this Armonia Shinigami send him here?

Raito looked L straight in the eyes, those brown eyes fixed on L so intensely that it almost seemed like defiance. "You're the sole reason why I'm dead," Raito said. "I would have lived in utter anonymity, going about my duties as Kira and preparing to be the future head of the NPA…" Raito gave him an even colder stare. "And while I will always hate you for taking my God-given right away to rule this world, I've come to realize that I only truly felt alive during the Kira investigation." Raito walked towards L, stopping mere inches from him. "As much as I hate to say it, you're my equal. You've always been my equal. The Shinigami-King also recognizes this as well and has written you into my contract with him. If I travel to this world, then I have to come to you, as in his eyes you would be the best person to keep track of my actions while I'm here."

L's index finger dropped slightly from his bottom lip, his mouth partially open in astonishment. "I suppose I should be relieved then," the detective said numbly. "But why are you telling me this, Raito-kun? I've never known you to be the honest type."

Raito rolled his eyes at him and L could not help but remember that in years Raito was still a teenager. He would have been 19 this year. "Because I was ordered to," Raito repeated. "I have to let you and your descendants know. It's part of the contract. If I'm to keep my role as the new Judge-Baron, I can't be involved in the affairs of this world."

"Descendants?" L said, his eyes growing even larger.

"Yes," Raito continued. "Once you die there's nothing to stop me from coming to the human realm and doing whatever I please. But with the continuation of your bloodline, your children will keep me from…let's say fully establishing myself on Earth. They will serve as constraints…."

"You speak of this as if it's a sure thing—that I am having children," L said, and gave Raito a strange look. "While I would not mind settling down and having a family, I first have to find a suitable partner, and as you can see I am not fairing so well in that department."

"Hmph," Raito laughed, "Really? On my end it doesn't look like you're trying very hard or even at all. To me it just looks like you're continuing on with your bad habits of no sleeping, eating junk, and solving cases that only pique your interest. You have no interest in anyone but yourself and your reputation as L. Suitable partner, my ass."

L could not help but chuckle at Raito's utterly blunt way with words. He had certainly not changed in that department. Rather he had gotten worse since he no longer had to hide his true self behind a polite mask. "Do not bite my head off because I am a little picky, Raito-kun."

Raito raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, I can't fault you for wanting perfection, and apparently Armonia doesn't either. Even though he's powerful he can't will you to fall in love. No Shinigami has that power, but he has been watching you and he does seem to know what you like."

"Raito-kun, I don't even think I know exactly what I want and yet this Shinigami claims to know me better than myself."

"Well, that's because socially you're an idiot," Raito said, and the expression on L's face soured, as he did not appreciate that kind of honesty. "You have the social skills of an 8 year-old, and yet when a case is involved you can remove yourself completely from the situation and think about scenarios logically, unlike normal functioning people who can only see the world through their own biases and defects. It's funny but your social skills are so bad that they make you a good detective."

"Raito-kun, then what does that say about you, from one socially-retarded genius to another?"

"Absolutely nothing," Raito said, "I was more than popular when I was a human. Don't lump me in the same category as yourself."

"I am like rubber, Raito-kun, and you are like glue," L said, obviously irritated, "whatever you say bounces off me—"

"And therein lies my point," Raito interrupted, staring back at L completely unaffected. "Look, I didn't come here to argue with you all day, because I know if I let you get under my skin, that's what we'd do—argue." Raito breathed in and out deeply, closing his eyes for a second, as if he needed a moment to compose himself. "No," Raito said, now composed and smirking, "I was sent here to let you get under my skin in a completely different way."

L opened his mouth and stopped himself, wondering if he heard Raito correctly.

"It wasn't hard to figure it out in those last days we were together," Raito said softly, almost tenderly, using the same voice that he had used in the past when, sometimes, late at night, handcuffed together and lying in bed next to the other, they would talk about nothing and everything, and the world was so quiet that L could hear every small bit of emotion and understanding in Raito's voice.

"You were thinking it. I could tell," Raito said, his brown eyes still smoldering at him. "You were thinking what it would be like if you didn't have to kill me, if you took me away from Japan..."

L lowered his eyes and smiled a bit, feeling somewhat stupid.

At the end of the case, when L had realized he would have to say goodbye to Raito, the detective had forgotten himself, letting his emotions get the better of him. In those last few days, L had said some pretty telling things to Raito—that since things were coming to an end he would be lonely, that they were the same, that he was sorry...

"I…did not realize I was so transparent. I thought I had been hiding it quite well."

"Certainly you hid it well from other people, but I've always known. I mean, it was one of the reasons why you didn't immediately have me killed. You wanted to prove me to be Kira, but you always knew that too, and you never truly did anything about it until absolutely forced."

L did not deny that he could have done something about Raito sooner. When he had gone up against Eraldo Coil and Deneuve he had immediately taken them out. Of course, they had made threats on his life and L knew that if given the chance they would have him killed, so all of this was done in self-defense, but even still he had not given them much of a chance. The moment they had declared war on him he had tracked them down, set their respective traps, and then left Wammy to cleanup. Within that month he had adopted their aliases as his own, so where there had been three world-renowned detectives, there was now one.

Some might call that ruthless, but to L it had been all business. There had been nothing personal.

With Raito everything had been personal. As soon as he had shown his face to Raito, he had realized that this case had become very important to him. The Kira investigation would be the case to either make or break him, and bringing Raito to Justice would be the difference between a good detective and a great one. The best, honestly, because Raito was that dangerous and that intelligent. No serial killer, no mass-murderer, no terrorist had ever been able to put that much fear in the collective hearts of the people of the world, or put that much hope and reverence in the hearts of those that had nothing to fear. For one year Raito had been the unequivocal God of the world. People had feared and loved him.

Raito had been his white tiger—that one defining capture and kill that would put him in a league of his own, so L could not have helped it when in the coming months, he had absolutely lost his mind in the cat-and-mouse chase between them. Raito had made him think circles around himself until L found himself staring at the brunette at night, utterly amazed by how peaceful Raito could sleep when he was making him half-crazy with lust and fear.

Towards the end L knew he was no longer the hunter, but had turned into prey—Raito's prey. Raito hadn't stayed with him to prove his innocence. He was staying with L to watch him and further enclose him in his trap, and Raito would have won had L not secretly tested the Death Note, and proved once and for all that false rules had been written into the Death Note he had been given.

In that moment, L had felt victorious and heart-broken at the same time.

After Raito was put to rest, Wammy had taken the body to one of his underground facilities in England, where the teenager would be studied for the future generations of Wammy House in order to replicate that ungodly genius.

The last time L had seen Raito, he was staring at the brunette through a glass-like coffin, his body kept from decaying by liquid nitrogen, anti-freeze compounds, and a sealed airless, transparent case; his face the pallor of death, but still beautiful and finally at rest.

It was then that L realized he had given up the chance at true love for the glory of victory, and that realization had left him even colder than the body that laid before him.

"You've always gotten what you wanted, haven't you?" Raito said, walking around out of sight, towards his back now. "You've been able to solve every case you've ever taken on. You have enough money and power to influence governments. And every person you've ever come across you've been able to get them to do what you want without much effort or thought. But being so intelligent has its drawbacks. You know that better than anyone."

"You're…lonely," Raito said, like he was finally admitting it to himself after years of denying it or covering it up.

At one point, L could tell that Raito had been perfectly content to be by himself. He was a strong person. L could admit much stronger than himself. Raito had always viewed himself as better than other people, and that belief had probably manifested at a young age when Raito had realized just how far below him his peers were in relation to him in intelligence. That strong belief in himself and his capabilities had made it so a young Raito had never truly let himself get attached or dependent on those around him. Even to some point, Raito had distanced himself from his family.

Such a strong belief in himself had made it so Raito had unceasing conviction in his actions. He had become an island that did not need outside praise or encouragement to work towards his goals. He was completely self-motivated. He was conceited, and one could say that because he had been fed praise his entire life, it had warped his own perception of himself, and it had to some degree. But people's opinions had stopped mattering to Yagami Raito a long time ago. The moment he had gotten ahold of that Death Note he had viewed himself outside the human realm.

But at some point in the Kira case, there had been a change in Raito. A change in how Raito interacted with L, as if he finally saw the detective for what he was and the realization had made him inwardly re-evaluate some things about himself. It had been jarring. After that Raito had looked at him somewhat…morosely. L did not know if it was because Raito had realized his fun little game was about to come to an end, some way or another, and he was going to have to go back to boring reality, because L understood that as well. As soon as the Kira case had finally come to its conclusion, L had felt an emptiness in his heart that made him realize he would never feel so alive again. He would never feel as challenged or emotional or satisfied. He would never feel as much as he did with Raito, and that knowledge had left him cold. L had been running on pure adrenaline from fear and…strange contentment, and having lost that feeling at the conclusion of the case, now made him feel hollow inside.

If he had to describe it some way, Raito had been his drug. And during those two years, L had become severely addicted to their interactions. He knew he already had an addictive personality. If he took to something—as he had with sweets, caffeine, certain clothes, and solving cases—then it was hard for him to control or even limit himself in his use. Honestly, there was no reason for him to control himself like other people who had grown up in homes with the concept of discipline. Wammy had been no slouch, but L had also learned at Wammy house, intelligence could excuse behavior that was not of the norm. To L the things he enjoyed eventually turned into compulsions. He liked to play with his food, he liked to wear the same clothes every day, he liked solving cases that challenged him...

L could not deny he was actually very fucked up, but he admitted these things to himself. Raito had only come to realize that there was something wrong with himself at the very end, when he became forlorn over their game coming to an end. Raito realized that a void had been created within his conviction—a void that could not simply be filled by himself anymore. And that realization had made Raito feel lonely, like he now occupied a building which should have been filled with people, but continued to remain empty, with only himself standing at the top, staring down on his immaculately created world.

In Raito's mind, the god of the new world would not mingle with those below him, and that was as it should be.

Lonely. Raito was a sociopath in varying degrees, but he at least understood what loneliness felt like, and could empathize with L for it. L could not deny Raito a response when he knew the other was only being genuine.

"For the short time that we were together," Raito said, "I filled that void for you." He was now in front of L again, his expression as open and understanding as L had ever seen it. "And you filled that void in me as well. We were…"

Raito didn't have to say it for L to know what he meant.

They had actually become strange companions. Taking their circumstances out of the equation, L had really and truly liked Raito as a person. He knew he was a little harder to take for Raito, but the brunette had genuinely seemed to like to talk to him and to be around him. There would be times when Raito would laugh unexpectedly at something he said or smile at him when they were alone. L knew there was nothing but pretense between them, because Raito needed to get on his good side, but L could also tell that Raito had actually…liked him as well.

Raito brushed some strands of hair behind his ear. "Speaking frankly," the brunette started, "if we had met under different circumstances, we probably would have ended up in bed together within the week."

"Ahh," L said in agreement, and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the skin there go flush.

Even before they had met, L had wanted Raito.

For about a week, L had watched Raito on cameras, and had been continuously impressed by how intelligent the brunette was, even in that short amount of time. It might not have been intelligent to draw L's attention in this way, but Raito had needed to get close to L as well to put his plan into effect, and he had certainly gotten the detective's attention, definitely more so than any of his other suspects.

Raito was also perfect.

L was a professional, but he could admit that he had been watching Raito just because he liked watching him. Within that almost week, Raito had masturbated once in the shower and another time in his bedroom, which had made Soichirou-san extremely uncomfortable, and had both times resulted in the father excusing himself from the room so he did not have to watch.

Now when people usually masturbated and the rare times that L had their residency bugged, he would glance away several times while they were in the act to give them some modicum of privacy. L would usually turn off the volume as well and go about some task or other, not paying too much attention, but still enough to know if they were trying to get one over on him. L could count on one hand how many times he had put cameras in a suspect's home. It was not that common for him because people were stupid, and he usually had enough evidence to come to a conviction without going to that extreme. Surveillance was usually reserved for those in criminal syndicates and their bosses, not regular people.

So L was at least professional in this aspect, but with Raito he had not even tried to look away or even turn the volume down. L had suspected that Raito knew about the cameras in his house and the brunette was trying to use this knowledge to his advantage, and while that did give L an excuse to not give Raito even a second of privacy, it still had caught L off-guard the first time he had watched Raito touching himself and had found himself extremely aroused by it.

Looking back on it, Raito had known those cameras were there and had been masturbating to make everything appear normal, but L could also tell when he was getting messed with. Raito might not have known him personally yet, but he had known "L" the detective was watching, and he had put on quite a show for him.

L could read body language like nobody else, and when Raito had rolled around in bed touching himself, L could not help but think the brunette was actually quite playful, despite his seemingly put-on serious and studious nature. Raito Yagami liked to play games with his prey, and even when he was touching himself, he was playing mind-games with L. He had pretty much been telling him to 'Come get me, if you dare.'

L loved a challenge, and when it came in such a perfect package as Raito Yagami, he could not walk away. At that point it had not been an option. He had to meet Raito in person. He wanted to play those mind-games with the brunette and drag him down from his perfect little pedestal.

L had gone into this case with noble endeavors like Justice and Truth, but once he had seen who he was truly going up against, L had wanted nothing more than to be let out to play. No limitations, no holding back, just pure unadulterated competition.

L could not sleep with Raito, but he had let his lust for Raito fuel their games all the same. To convict Raito would mean Raito would be his to do with what he wanted, and while L would not act upon those baser instincts-or could not while Wammy and the rest of the investigation team was watching-he had still gained sexual gratification from knowing that Raito was now under his complete control.

The last time he had taken Raito into custody, he had thought about turning off the cameras in the interrogation room and fucking Raito on the table, but Raito would have fought him to the death and L would not rape the brunette to satisfy all the urges in himself. He would not do that to Raito. As fucked up as things had gotten between them, L could not hurt Raito any more than he had to. At that point he had known he was in love with Raito, and he knew he would have to execute the teen for his crimes against humanity and, admittedly, for his own survival.

He could never have Raito, and knowing that had torn L up inside. He could not have the one thing he wanted. It had eaten him alive.

"This Armonia shinigami wishes us to…fornicate?" L asked, feeling his mouth go dry at the possibility of Raito's words. "To keep you in line? And this will all be in contractual terms? What have you gotten yourself into again, Raito-kun?"

"Nothing that I can't handle," Raito said confidently. "As far as what I was told by Armonia, if I set foot on this world, I have to come to you, and if I choose to join our blood-lines, the same holds true for our offspring. I can't escape them either, annoying as that will be."

L's brain came to a screeching halt as Raito's words finally dawned on him.

"What? H-how is that even possible? We cannot have…offspring. You are male."

Raito raised an eyebrow at him as if to say 'duh.' "Yes, I am male, but…" Raito started tentatively, and L's eyes bugged a little in their sockets.

"But what?" the detective asked, now very interested. "Considering what you are implying that is a pretty large exception."

Raito frowned at him, as if having to explain this part was beneath him. "Judges are arbiters, and as arbiters we're supposed to be extremely unbiased. The Shinigami King created these Shinigami with the intention of making them perfect. Apparently, perfection isn't born into one gender, and the ability to procreate is in itself a form of absolute control over the Laws of Nature. I told you," Raito said, "we're not like regular Shinigami. It's the reason why they went extinct. They kept mating with the human population, and the Shinigami King didn't care for that too much, so he—"

"And you accepted this body knowing what you would become?" L asked in disbelief. If he had heard Raito correctly, the brunette was now…not completely male? Raito had been such a chauvinist in his human life. How was it that he had accepted these terms from the Shinigami King? "I find it hard to believe that you would let anyone change you in any way, especially in that aspect?"

Raito shrugged as if to downplay his actions, and L had to remember that as uptight as Raito could be about his ideals, he was also equal-parts nonchalant about a lot of things that normal people would have thought twice about, especially when it furthered his goals towards becoming a God. "Of course I had second thoughts about it when it was explained it to me, but once I got used to this body, there was nothing to really worry about. It was either this or nothingness—it wasn't like the Shinigami-King gave me much of a choice. He wasn't going to make me a regular Shinigami, which I'm fine with, because there's no way in Hell I'd want to spend an Eternity being that ugly. Plus, this body definitely has its perks," Raito finished.

For a second, L had forgotten that Raito was actually a very practical person. Certainly the teenager was vain and did not care for anything that might alter his perfect self, but at the same time Raito was not stupid, and if he found a use for something, he was not one to throw it away because of pride or aesthetics. It was this kind of flexible thinking that had made him so dangerous to begin with. He saw the value in anything that could gain him an advantage. It also might not have helped matters when the Shinigami King told Raito he could make him a perfect being-the God he had always dreamed to be. Raito already thought he was perfect, but L was sure the teen had salivated at the idea of ascending even farther into his concept of god, and of evolving into something that both surpassed man and Shinigami. For Raito, letting L fuck him seemed like a small price to pay for eternal youth, beauty, and pride.

"Do you want to see it?" Raito asked abruptly, and smiled at L as if he had found a new toy, which for all intents and purposes the brunette had. Like before, when L had seen Raito transform from his Shinigami-self to his past-self, it happened within the blink of an eye. L did not even have a chance to utter a word before he found Raito standing before him—absolutely naked and very much female.

Raito's hair was that same chestnut-color, but it now extended down her back in long waves. The facial features had not changed all that much. Raito had always had a delicate bone structure, with sharp eyes, an aristocratic nose, and a well-defined mouth. Raito's female form was also tall and slender, the same height as Raito, but also very shapely.

L tried not to look directly at her chest, but for some reason he could not look away. As a man he really could not help it. It was like a disease or something…

"I'm sure you like what you see," Raito said, voice now a decibel softer and a fraction higher, but if L closed his eyes he knew it was not that different to how the male Raito sounded, as under it all he could still recognize that same melodious and sensual quality that made Raito's voice so distinct for him.

"I haven't given it a test run yet, but everything should work," Raito said. "If not, I'm sure you'll be extremely thorough."

L felt his ears burning despite himself and tried to look away. "You are lovely..."

"But?" Raito asked, now standing directly in front of the detective, upright and completely unashamed. She, as L was getting used to it, placed a hand on his chest.

"If I give into you in your current state, I feel it will only take one night for you to fulfill your contract, meaning I can only have you for one night…" L turned his head, trying to focus on anything but Raito's absolute nakedness.

"Knowing you, one night should be enough to get the job done," Raito said, pulling L closer by his shirt. "But, I was never given an exact time frame, if that's what you're getting at," Raito finished with a self-satisfied smile.

"Is that so?" L asked, as he slowly slipped his hand into the hand on his chest and lifted it to hold it between them. L took a few tentative steps forward, Raito's hand still in his own, so as they moved both seemed like a pair of improbable dance partners, L backing Raito up against the nearby desk.

"I assume Raito-kun now knows a bit about where I come from, if he knows my true name," L said, boxing Raito in even more against his desk, and at the same time he slid an arm around Raito's waist, gently drawing the brunette against him. "And if that is the case, then Raito-kun knows that I am originally from England, where men are taught at an early age to cultivate the qualities of an English gentlemen," L said, voice now hushed as he moved his face closer to Raito's, so they were sharing the same breath. "Where I come from, we do not simply copulate, we court," L stated, while looking Raito deeply in the eyes, Raito's hand still held in his, where he pressed a slow kiss.

For a second Raito just stared back at him, mesmerized, before a slow smile parted the brunette's lips. "And how long do you think this courting-business will go on until we fuck each other's brains out?"

"Until you return my love, of course," L said as if that was obvious, and slid Raito back to sit on the desk.

"Then you'll be courting me forever," Raito laughed meanly, but still let L lean in and slowly kiss her neck; and placing her hands on L's shoulders, Raito tipped her head back even more, giving L more of her neck. "I'm supposed to be fulfilling a part of my contract, not letting you court me, whatever the hell that's going to entail…"

"Yes, and it will be fulfilled," L said, ignoring Raito's lack of faith in his wooing abilities, as he brushed fingers through the silken tresses of hair near Raito's cheek. "However, that does not mean we cannot enjoy each other's company for a reasonable amount of time. I will gladly do my part when the time comes," L said, as he stroked a strand of Raito's hair between his forefinger and thumb, "but for now, I do not see any reason to rush a very desired second meeting."

Raito pursed her lips, opened her mouth to say something and came up short, so all L heard was the usual voiced exhalation of breath that the brunette would make when either startled or frustrated, or honestly both.

L could not deny that sound severely aroused him every time he heard it, and he hoped Raito would never stop making that sound as long as he lived.

"You know," Raito said, regaining her ability to speak, "you're the only person who would sweet-talk someone after trying to put them to death by lethal injection."

"I did what I had to do, Raito-kun," L said, looking Raito dead in the eyes. "If I had not gotten to you first, you would have killed me within the week. It was not hard to sense the blood-lust from you."

"I suppose," Raito said, the utter disregard in her voice obviously relaying that L spoke the absolute truth. "I can admit when I've lost. You did…beat me, after all," Raito said, breathlessly.

L looked at Raito carefully, in awe of what had brought on this response from the brunette.

L knew that he could articulate his love for Raito until he was blue in the face, but sadly, the only way Raito would ever respond to him was through sheer force of will. Raito only acknowledged L through competition, because opposition was what, apparently, turned the brunette on.

L too had learned a bit about himself and his own sexual proclivities when he had met Raito. For L, the chase was his main driving force, and while he had found pleasure in knowing he had finally bested Raito, most of his fulfillment had come from the steps it took to solve the beautiful puzzle that was Raito Yagami. It did not help that learning of Raito's deception with the rules of the Deathnote had left L feeling…betrayed. It had certainly soured his idea of victory, and while he had always known Raito was Kira, for reasons that were obvious to him now, he had wanted Raito to prove him both right and wrong at the same time, as confusing as that all sounded. On one hand he had wanted Raito to mean all those things he had said—all those promises he'd made to him, all those sweet, earnest looks he would give him… L had wanted all those things to mean something...anything. And at the same time, L had wanted Raito to be Kira, because it meant the brunette was that intelligent to elude him for a whole year while under surveillance, it meant he was that cunning, and that perfect…

It was obvious that Raito and him could never have a normal relationship, but L was trying…sort of…

"It seems we are at a crossroads yet again, Raito-kun, and I am the only person standing in the way of your path to world conquest. How unfortunate for you and fortuitous for myself that the the Shinigami King realizes that you need to be kept on an extremely short leash, to which he has been gracious enough to hand me the reigns." L pulled Raito further against him, and the brunette immediately lodged her forearm underneath L's throat to forestall the detective from getting any closer.

"Don't get smart with me," Raito said snidely. "You might be immune for now, but let's see how long that lasts. By the end of this, who knows, maybe I'll keep you around as my very own personal, human foot-stool."

"While I am strangely not as opposed to that idea as much I should be," L said slowly, realizing that the image was actually turning him on—he would analyze himself later on that—"I am not like any of your previous conquests, Raito-kun," the detective continued, as he slowly coiled his long fingers around a handful of silken strands near the base of Raito's neck. "I fight back," he replied, and suddenly tightened his grip on Raito's hair, yanking the brunette's head back.

"Ow, you fuc—" Raito didn't even get the chance to curse him before L leaned in, kissing the brunette suddenly and firmly, and tilting Raito back even more, so all that chestnut-colored hair was now sweeping against the desk in thick waves. For a split second Raito looked about ready to shove L away, and it would have been easy enough with the Death-God's new strength, but L deepened the kiss, and Raito seemed to tense then yield in the same breath.

Winding her arms around L's back, Raito sunk further back on top of desk, and L lifted Raito's legs, wrapping them around his waist—suddenly all too ready to climb further in between—when Wammy walked into the room.

"Excuse me," Wammy coughed, looking for a second truly surprised at the scene he had interrupted. L could tell Wammy had not recognized Raito off the bat, but he knew it would be too much to expect the older man to not notice the uncanny resemblance if he did not think fast.

"What is it?" L said hoarsely, standing upright, though a tad unsteadily as Raito sat up as well, but still keeping the brunette within the circle of his arms, so he was now using most of his body to shield the other. L put his hand on the back of Raito's head, turning the brunette's head so Raito's face was now hidden in his chest.

L could hear the metallic slide of Wammy disengaging the ammo clip from his gun, his caretaker tucking the semi-automatic back into its hiding place. Raito had set off a silent alarm on the balcony that L had chosen not to immediately disable because he, too, had assumed his intruder was of the normal assassin variety, but after the ensuing events had played out, L had completely forgotten about the alarm or even checking in with his phone, which was in the other room.

"I did not realize you were entertaining company," Wammy said, the older man phrasing his words in such a way so L could tell he was being corrected, Wammy obviously not too pleased with L's seeming disregard for safety protocols by allowing what he considered a stranger into the suite without a warning. It also did not help that Wammy was the epitome of an English gentleman—it was where L had received his upbringing, after all—and the man always used phrasing that meant two different things.

Being a gentleman, it was obvious that Wammy was also not too pleased with his handling of what obviously seemed like a female to him. Having carnal relations with a woman on a desk, while bound to happen at some point in a man's life and was not as serious of an offence as other affronts, was still not a very gentlemanly thing to do. You did these things in a clean bed, with a door that locked, and preferably with a person who you knew for a reasonable amount of time.

L sighed, as he knew he was going to hear it for a week. "Can you set out evening attire for my guest? We will be going out for dinner shortly," L said, knowing that Wammy would be too preoccupied with making dinner plans to immediately question him on his supposed guest.

"I assume the usual arrangements will not do?" Wammy asked, and again L could hear the unspoken censure in his voice that said 'do not pick the usual restaurants that you attend, as they are unsuitable for a proper dinner.'

L knew Raito liked Italian, and it was his luck that they were in the Swiss-Italian border city of Molino Nuovo. He could do no wrong here as far as Raito's palate went. "If you could find something in the main quarter."

"Of course," Wammy said. He bowed, but the gesture was presented more to L's female company, as there had never been any real formalities between the detective and his caretaker, not when they had years of living and silently bickering with each other under their belt. Plus, Wammy had never known L to bring a female into his living quarters. If the detective needed company, he usually snuck out, sought it out, and then left it where he had met it. And even that kind of behavior was extremely rare for L, as the detective spent most of his nights on researching potential endeavors, keeping track of their assets, or traveling from one point to another, as they did not stay in the same place for very long for obvious reasons. Once in a while, when L wanted to have his dinner out—or more accurately dessert—he would usually go to a few desolate spots he liked to frequent, and he usually went alone.

He and L had tea on the Queen's schedule and used that time to plan accordingly, but generally the day passed by in a blur of tasks and security protocol.

Wammy tried not to notice the fact that L's choice for a female companion, from what little he had seen of her, was Asian, most likely Japanese, and had the exact hair color and complexion as the now deceased Kira. He had not gotten a good look at her face, as L had become strangely guarded when he had walked into the room, nor would he attempt to gaze at a female when she was in such a state of undress, but from behind…

She looked exactly like…

Wammy should have been alarmed, but if this was the best way for L to deal with his loss, he would not fault his charge with his behavior.

* * *

"You're an asshole," Raito said, shoving L off.

"I did not mean to be rough with you," L countered, watching Raito as the brunette combed fingers through the hair that L minutes ago had knotted around his fist. You do have very pretty hair," L continued, "It is not my fault that I had the sudden urge to pull on it, which was very satisfying if I do say so myself."

"Whatever," Raito said dismissively, and hopped off the desk, transforming back into his male form and now sporting a white button-down and jeans, his feet bare. The transformation was too quick for L to catch. L supposed human eyes were not meant to see or even take in the full proceedings of such a supernatural event.

"You could have said something to him."

L smiled a little at the brunette as Raito's face took on that familiar peeved/bored look he would get when L obviously did something he didn't like but could still be persuaded to drop if L said the right things to him. On the Raito Richter scale, it registered between the less-serious miffed and just plain irritated.

"I did not even know where to begin," L said, truthfully.

"I'd rather you tell him if it lets me walk around here in my own skin," Raito responded. "I mean, he's seen Shinigami and knows about the Death Note. Once you get over that, there's nothing left to be surprised about." Raito leveled L with a knowing look. "Unless you just don't want him to know the extent of your feelings for me during the Kira case. I don't blame you, since it throws a lot of your decisions during the case into question, especially the one where you handcuffed us-

"Instead of trying to treat you like a human being, I should have just bound and gagged you in a cell if I'd known how much grief I would get for that one decision," L said, leveling Raito back with his own deadpan, annoyed look. "Wammy adopted me at a very young age. He knows my own flaws better than I do, and he has seen me do some very…" L waved his hand vaguely, as if to communicate the fact that he pretty much did whatever he wanted on cases, law abiding or not. "In any case, that is another conversation that we will never seriously have," L said, doing what he normally did when others brought up a topic he did not care for, and side-stepping it in such a blatant way that Raito could only stare at him in disbelief.

"I have missed dinner, so I am actually quite hungry. I would not mind if we began to get ready for our outing, my pet."

"Fine," Raito sighed, and tried to ignore L's sudden moniker for him. He was certain there would be more. He also forgot how much the detective could throw him off sometimes. "I guess I'll stay in disguise for now. I suppose I don't need to give Wammy a heart-attack. I feel bad enough that he has to deal with you every day." Raito then shifted his weight on his other leg, like he was considering the other side of the equation that was L's caretaker. "If he were to find out my identity, would he try anything against me? You know better than anyone that I won't hesitate to defend myself. I mean I was going to kill him after I killed you, obviously as a safety precaution. No offense."

"None taken," L responded just as quickly, now tapping his bottom lip. "I do not know for sure If Wammy would take action against you, as we both viewed you as a serious threat to the L name during the Kira case, both if you were Kira and if you started down your own path to becoming a detective. I would no longer have a monopoly over the market, as they say. Wammy does not take as kindly to competition as I do, and in his younger days he did take on some rather questionable work."

"You mean he's a former hitman," Raito said bluntly. Wammy barely, if ever, made any sound whenever he walked into a room. Raito could also tell that the man was always carrying. Raito was more observant to this behavior, since his father and his father's friends were all in the force and carried guns on their person every day, but Raito was pretty good at spotting how many weapons they had and where they strapped them. Wammy's good posture and impeccable control over his body movements had made it so Raito could barely get an accurate count of how many firearms the man actually possessed on his person at any given time. Raito had guessed a long time ago that Wammy was L's guardian, and now that L was a great detective, he now served the role as his bodyguard as well.

"Call it what you will," L said, side-stepping the subject yet again. "This is not exactly the most appropriate topic of conversation before dinner. I will go fetch you your things. Please make yourself comfortable, and I will be back shortly." L turned on his heel, heading for the door to the suite, leaving Raito to stare at the detective's back with a small smile on his face.

* * *

A/N: Ah Deathnote… I can't leave this fandom alone. L and Raito are too good together. I refuse to leave things as it is Lol. Hopefully I'll be updating regularly, or rather as quickly as I can.


	2. Voracious

"I would ask them to stop looking, but I do not blame them. It is honestly impossible to look away from you. You are ravishing."

Raito turned to look at L. They were being led forward by their waiter, and as they passed patrons on the way to their table, many had stopped what they were doing to gaze upon the female Raito, the brunette wearing a richly dark, chocolate-colored dress, the velvet fabric not thin but not heavy and seemingly clinging to Raito's outline like a second skin.

"I can't say I mind you looking," Raito said, sweeping a cascade of hair off one shoulder. "But you do know you can do more than look right? We did take the car over here."

"Do not…tempt me," L murmured, with a strained smile. He was a little surprised by Raito's forwardness, but then again he shouldn't have been. Raito Yagami no longer had to play the roles he had assumed during the Kira case—perfect son, dedicated To-oh student, a person who gladly conformed to society's rules, was morally upright, and full of virginal innocence and pure intentions. Now that Raito could be himself he didn't have to hide the fact that he was actually prideful, narcissistic, and not as virginal as he liked everyone around him to think. Raito had tried hard to hide that sexually playful side of himself, but there had been times during the case when L did not know if he was being flirted or toyed with, or both. It had been so subtle that L had been extremely tempted to respond to Raito's flirtations and see where it got him, but that would have been L opening himself up to his own weaknesses, and Raito would have certainly taken advantage of the opportunity if given the chance.

 _"Signori, prego, accomodatevi," (Please take your seats, sir and madam,)_ the waiter said, pulling out a chair for Raito before L could even take a step toward the brunette. L gave the man a deadpan stare.

 _"Cosa gradireste bere prima di iniziare la cena?"_ (What would you like to drink before we bring out the full course?)

"Earl Grey," L said, climbing into his chair in his usual manner, and the waiter gave the detective his own deadpan stare. He looked like he was about to ask L to sit properly—this was not the type of restaurant where people put their shoes on the expensive furniture—when Raito raised a hand, calling the waiter's attention back to the brunette.

 _"Lo prenderei il DeMaria,"_ (I'll have the DeMaria,) Raito said, and the waiter paused for a bit, as if he had not heard the brunette right, but being a skilled maître d' it took all of one second for him to go from critical to complimentary, especially when Raito had just ordered a 30,000 dollar bottle of wine.

 _"Certo. Lo porto subito,"_ (Yes, of course. I'll bring it right away,) the waiter said, making haste towards the kitchen, realizing that while the clientele at this establishment were all high-class and usually spent thousands for the privilege of dinning here, he had never seen anyone spend that much right off the bat.

"That'll shut them up for now," Raito said, watching as L kicked off his dress shoes and unbuttoned the top button on his white shirt. "I know you like to sit like that, but is it really necessary in a place like this?"

"If they wish for me to buy them out and shut them down they will let me sit like this," L said crabbily, and scratched the back of his head. "It is bad enough that I have to wear these clothes in order to get through the door." L was about to shrug off his black dinner jacket, but Raito gave him a wilting look, and L suddenly opted to keep it on. "I remember why I do not come to places like this," L muttered, obviously not too happy, "though they are said to serve the best Italian food in the area."

"How thoughtful of you," Raito said, smiling at L, as he had remembered that he liked Italian.

"Though I did not know you liked wine as well," L said, picking up his menu by the corner. "You are also not of the age to drink it," L said with a straight-face, but obviously in jest. It was easy enough to fall back into their normal interactions with each other, even though things had drastically changed. It was funny to L now, but even when Raito had been trying to kill him, it had still been terribly easy to carry on a very pleasant conversation with the brunette.

"Underage drinking is the least of my problems," Raito said flippantly, also not even noticing that he had fallen into his routines with L as well. "I thought you were going to help me. It's dessert wine."

"Ah…that would not be a good idea," L said, "I do not drink alcohol, so I do not have much of a tolerance for it. More importantly, I do not like the taste. Ah, and they have semifreddo here," L finished, going off on a tangent as he was inclined to when he noticed the restaurant carried a dessert item he liked.

"So you're going to watch me drink a 30,000 dollar bottle of wine by myself?" Raito asked.

"You are actually very heavy, so I would rather you not drink the whole thing in one sitting, as I will be the one carrying you out," L said, lowering the menu back to the table, done with skimming. "Would you like me to order for you? Their cake selection is actually quite good."

"No, I'm fine," Raito said, amused by the fact that L still didn't understand that not everyone wanted cake, all the time.

L stared at Raito for a second longer than he should have, his index finger hanging from his mouth. "You really are lovely. I would have preferred to be alone with you, but I do not terribly mind the atmosphere here either." It was dinner, so the restaurant was lit by low, muted candlelight; the hues of burgundy and embossed bronze in the room made darker by the recessed lighting, the soft candlelight also bringing out the iridescent specks of color in the toffee-colored material of the brunette's dress. And even though it was so well-fitted to Raito's frame, the dress was still modest and elegant in design, sleeves ending at the elbow and neckline rolled and textured so the velvet fabric at her neck looked almost like down.

"I forget that when you put your mind to it, you can actually be really charming," Raito said, crossing her legs slowly under the table, the slow slide of material the only cue to L of what was happening under the table.

L blinked visibly, a strange feat for someone whose blink reflex had appeared non-existent during the Kira case. "Well…" L said, his eyes straying to the edge of the table, "I will certainly have to give Raito-kun many examples of my better traits."

"I think I've seen all I needed to see during the Kira case," Raito said, pressing a heeled foot towards the edge of L's chair and between his lap, and L suddenly grabbed the heel before it could completely press against him under the table.

"You are not going to make this easy for me, are you?" L said, letting Raito's foot slip from his grasp as the brunette drew one long leg back to the other side of the table. L knew Raito was not used to anyone resisting him or even setting a pace that was not in accordance or dictated by his own schedule, so he really shouldn't have been surprised by Raito's sudden persistence. Apparently, playing hard to get intrigued the brunette.

"Like I said before," Raito started, "you might always get what you want, but you're not the only one. Armonia might have sent me here to exploit the apparent weakness we have for each other, but he's going to realize really quickly that no one can control me, not even you." The brunette picked up her wine glass, holding it off to the side and tilted outward just so much that as the waiter walked up to their table and started to pour, he had to bow a little, which put him within the range of Raito's stare, Raito holding the man with that same cold, snake-like gaze that L had seen Raito favor others when not wholly aware of it. The waiter completed his bow and left, knowing when his presence was needed, but also realizing that the mood between these two had suddenly shifted into something very intimidating and even more sexually charged.

"Oh L," Raito said, and the way Raito pronounced his name in Japanese made the small hairs on L's neck stand on end. "You're mine, and you'll always be mine. You're going to give me what I want, and as thanks I'm going to _let_ you fuck me," Raito said, stressing the word _let_. "You don't have to immediately give in. After all, we can't help playing with each other, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

L felt the shudder go right through his whole body, so aroused by Raito's words that he momentarily felt a strong wave of light-headedness and vertigo come over him, like all the blood in his brain had changed direction all of a sudden and was now heading for his heart and below his waist.

Raito had always been the only person who had ever spoken to L without any care for his title, his intelligence, his money, or even his so-called strange personality, which had always made it so people were unsure of how to respond to him. L was not the type of person who liked to be told what to do. He thrived on the autonomy of his existence, but L could also not deny that Raito's self-assured, commanding and defiant nature turned him on more than he would like to admit. When Raito spoke of owning him, it was not just an assumption on his part. The brunette knew instinctively that L had and would always love him, and that knowledge had made Raito Yagami extremely dangerous to his existence.

"I fully understand what I am getting myself into when I involve myself in your affairs," L began, because as much as he loved watching Raito get smart with him, he also had to swiftly put Raito in his place. "Raito-kun has never been a simple creature-always reaching for something that you cannot have. You are as power-hungry and covetous as the day we met, and this Judge title is just another bid for power. I hope the Shinigami King does not let his guard down around you, but if he does, just remember that I will not let you do what you wish with the human race. I do not care if you are a Death-God, I will find a way Raito-kun. I always do."

For a second Raito and L stared each other down from their perspective sides of the table. That was until L heard the stirrings of playful laughter from Raito, the kind of sound that L had heard come from the teen multiple times during the Kira case. However, that laugh gradually turned into something that L was not expecting, almost throaty for a split second, and then suddenly more high-pitched than L had ever heard Raito's voice carry, the sound still playful but now full of pure malice.

L blinked at Raito in surprise. He supposed only dead men had ever heard Raito Yagami truly laugh.

"I'm glad you still haven't changed," Raito said, the remnants of that evil laughter still in her voice. "In time, we'll finish what we started. I'll make sure of that."

L knew that Raito still hadn't given up on his ideas of world conquest. It should have meant something different to the now-turned Shinigami, as L suspected Raito had always wanted to win his prize as a human. Raito had been a human, with human wants and needs, and he had been invested in the future of this world as a human being. To change the world as a human had meant something to him.

It should have been easy for Raito to lay claim to this world now that he was a Shinigami, which would have certainly killed any interest in owning what he had long ago declared as his own. No, Raito now had to contend with the watchful eye of the Shinigami King and his right-hand, as well as a contract that would limit him in his undertakings in the human realm. And the mere fact that forces still did not wish for Raito Yagami to own this world, made it so he wanted it even more. It also did not help that L had just told Raito he would not let him take what the Shinigami thought rightfully still belonged to him. Honestly, a good dose of reverse psychology might have worked in this situation, but L had never been one to back down from a challenge, especially when it was coming from Raito.

He had probably just doomed them all.

L shrugged and took a long slurping sip from his tea. The nearest table to them, which was not close but still within earshot, was occupied by a middle-aged couple, both patrons looking now somewhat spooked by hearing Raito laugh. L certainly did not blame them for their disquiet. It was very disconcerting watching someone like Raito who had the face of an angel turn around and laugh like the devil himself. L would make sure and tip the waitstaff very well.

They had the full 6 course meal, with L substituting each course with Dolce, and by the time they were leaving, L, taking Raito by the hand, was compelled to half-support, half-escort his beautiful dinner-date out the way they came, Raito having drank the whole bottle of wine and then some. A waitstaff of 5 bowed to L as he was leaving, as along with the expenditure of the bottle of wine, the dinner itself, and his non-gratuitous tip, he had just covered his servers their income for half the year in one hour.

L waved at them, but was obviously paying more attention to Raito as the brunette meandered out the restaurant looking alluring and a little disheveled at the same time, a young man with an entourage of models turning around to stare as the brunette clipped past him on the way out.

"I did not think Death gods could be intoxicated," L said, watching Raito falter a little on the sidewalk. She caught herself on the side of the building, bent over a little as she was, and from under her bangs, Raito narrowed her eyes at him, gaze sharp and sober, but her movements not as much.

"I have a human body right now," Raito said, righting herself. "When I came to you on the balcony, I was a Shinigami then. Shinigami are pretty much made up of the same matter as humans, so as a Judge I have the ability to reorganize this substance into any form I need."

"That still does not change the fact that I told you not to drink the whole bottle," L said, putting an arm around the brunette's waist and walking her down the sidewalk. "I suppose inhibitions are a thing of the past for you. You certainly do not need to hold yourself back on my account anymore."

Right when L said this, he watched Raito pluck the diamond earrings out of her ears and drop it in the violin case of a worn, scruffy old man who had obviously snuck into this district to play and earn some money. "When have I ever held myself back with you?" Raito said, turning to look him dead in the eyes.

Amazed, L stared back at Raito and had no response for the brunette, especially as they passed a woman window-shopping, the women's daughter standing off to the side, but still holding onto her mother's hand as she gazed off into the distance towards the music-player, both mother and daughter plainly dressed despite the district they were in—that was until Raito, in passing by the daughter, pulled the diamond clasp from around her neck and casually dropped it in the little girl's hand, the confused look on the girl's face and then slow realization not noticed by her mother as the woman continued to window shop, Raito continuing on forward, with no thought of turning back.

"I like nice things, but that's all they are—nice things," Raito said. "They don't actually mean anything to me. They never have," Raito said, and this time the brunette stepped out of her heels, alternatively stepping out of one and then the other, leaving shoes that possibly cost a small fortune behind on the sidewalk. "One day, I'm going to change all of this—a world without crime, without poverty and unfairness. A world full of true Justice…"

Left alone to his own devices, Raito Yagami was intrinsically a good person. His wanting to create a better world, one without crime, where people lived in happiness—these notions had all stemmed from a good place. For someone so intelligent and practical as Raito, his dream had surprisingly been very child-like and simple. Of course the execution of his plan was anything but, and L's arrival had certainly complicated matters to say the least. Honestly, L knew his presence in certain ways had made things worse. Once L had arrived, Raito's search for Justice had quickly turned into a pissing contest between them. L would not apologize for any of his actions during the Kira case, as Raito was still murdering people, no matter how much the teen had tried to dress it up with his moralizing. For that L had needed to put a stop to him. It was just a shame that the intent behind all of this had stemmed from such a beautiful place.

Stopping Raito before the brunette could shed more items of dress, L bent down, sliding his hands under the back of Raito's thighs and her lower back, and standing hefted the brunette up in one movement, not wanting Raito to keep walking on the unclean pavement without shoes.

The Mercedes Benz that L had taken out for the night was parked near an alley. This part of town was almost desolate, especially at this time of night—L having parked the car over here to give himself enough time to see if he was being follow, which thankfully he was not.

L stopped on the passenger side, and after adjusting the back of the seat as much as possible, he laid Raito down, all that chestnut brown hair spilling out against the fine leather upholstery, the scent of liquor drifting into the cool air, but also another scent that was familiar under the usual clean hazel smell that Raito gave off, but had strangely grown stronger since the last time he was around Raito.

Apples.

L could not help but recall the final note that Raito had made an inmate leave behind:

" _L, Do you know Shinigami love Apples?"_

L did not know what exactly to make of it. At the time he had thought it was pure nonsense—Kira was teasing him—but maybe it actually had meant something. He had not seen the white Shinigami eating apples, but maybe there was another Shinigami out there that liked them. The one that had given Raito his Death Note perhaps? And did Raito still come into contact with this Shinigami?

Raito grabbed L's forearm, forestalling his progress towards the driver's side of the car, and L sat down right next to Raito, but facing her, his arms now on either side of Raito as he stared down at the brunette.

"You smell very good." L did not care too much for apples, but Raito had somehow still made them smell terribly good.

"I taste even better," Raito purred.

L swallowed all the saliva in his mouth, trying not to think how good it would feel to finally savor all that smooth, supple, almond-colored skin with his mouth. "Raito-kun has not returned my feelings yet. I cannot help but feel you are tempting me to fulfill your contract with the Shinigami King."

"But that doesn't mean we still can't have fun with each other first," Raito said, her words coming out more breathy, obviously from the slow onset of alcohol. Sliding her hands up L's back, Raito started kneading fingers into the muscles near the base of L's neck, L taking a tense inhale of breath before helpinglessly leaning more into Raito and exhaling all the air out of his lungs. "I can tell, you're really frustrated." Raito dug her fingers into the knots in L's back. "I'm surprised you haven't taken care of this already," Raito said, referring to the fact that L had not slept with anyone since the Kira case had started and possibly some time before that.

"How do you expect me to get over you? It is not every day that I come across my ideal partner," L sighed, letting go off some of his restraint as he drew his hands up Raito's legs, squeezing her thighs harder than he realized. L could feel himself getting infinitely harder.

"Doesn't mean you have to be so stupid about it," Raito drowsed against him.

"Love is not very bright," L replied, and Raito raised two slender eyebrows at him. L smiled a little, then worrying his lip between his teeth for a pensive second, he ducked his head and kissed Raito. Raito's hands immediately found its way to the back of his head, controlling some of the force of the kiss as L pressed the brunette harder into seat.

"It's going to hurt for the both of us if you don't relax," Raito breathed, letting L suck at the juncture between her neck and shoulder, the detective pulling down on the shoulders of her dress and ripping it in the process. "L…" Raito said again, this time a little more frustrated as L was not listening. Sitting up, Raito suddenly grabbed L by the longer strands at the back of his neck, bringing the detective up short. "I'm not letting you fuck me while you're frustrated as hell. This body is still a virgin."

"Then what would you have me do?" L said, feeling that the hold Raito had on him was definitely not helping him relax. While he knew he couldn't just have sex with Raito in his car since anyone walking by might be able to see them, he had forgotten himself for a moment.

"You don't have to do anything," Raito said, and blew in the detective's ear as if to console him for being rough. L was very consoled. "This should help." Switching places with L so the detective was now the one sitting in the passenger seat, Raito pulled L's shirt out of his dress pants and unzipped his fly, and L had to stifle a groan as Raito slid a soft palm down his erection.

"I…will not be very cognizant of our surroundings if we do this here," L said, referring to the fact that they were parked on a side-street, but a street nonetheless that people could frequent.

"I won't let anyone ruin your fun," Raito teased, pulling L's cock out fully. She slid her thumb over the tip of the shaft, spreading ample pre-cum around the head, then pumped him once, leaned back, and lowering her face near to L, she let the saliva in her mouth seep out in a thin stream onto L's throbbing erection.

"If I try to propose to you in the next five minutes, do not hold it against me," L said, clenching his jaw in order to control his breathing. Raito laughed, the sound one of pure flirtation, and L felt that sound go straight to his penis, which at this point was near killing him. Thankfully, Raito was there to stroke him again, the brunette's hand thoroughly spreading out her saliva onto his length as she rubbed him firmer, steadier; and dazed, L found himself staring up the ceiling of the car, his head having tilted all the way up as Raito licked the coils in his ear, the brunette breathing encouragement in his ear as she worked him faster.

L clutched harder at Raito's hips, the brunette wincing for a second before she kissed him, slow and open-mouthed, and L felt his whole body lurch forward from coming so hard, his semen seeping out from between Raito's fingers, and the brunette continuing to pump him for a minute longer because L was still half-stiff and would probably need to get jerked off again before he could fuck Raito.

"If you hadn't been so stubborn during the case, I might have let you have a few minutes with me," Raito said, licking the cum off her hands.

At the moment L could not find the mental link between his brain and mouth, and pulling up his trousers resolutely, L zipped himself back up and made an effort to not look at Raito, because at some point he had to take them back.

Standing outside the car, L looked around as he popped the joints in his neck, resuming his vigilance from before. He bent over Raito, knowing that the brunette was not thinking very clearly, and pulled the seatbelt over her, clicking it in. L snapped a finger in front of Raito's face and the brunette started at it before her gaze got unfocused again.

"What the hell are you doing?" Raito slurred.

L shut Raito's door and took the driver's seat, shifting the car into first gear. "Nothing, my pet," L said, shifting gears again as he took the nearest side street. By the time L got back to the hotel Raito had drifted off to sleep.

L pulled up to the back entrance of the hotel, which was usually reserved for patrons staying in the Presidential suite, Wammy there to meet him.

L walked around the car, disrobing his dinner jacket so it would not get in the way and holding it over his arm as he opened Raito's door, but by this time of the night, Raito was now very drunk, and as L helped the brunette out of the car, Raito tripped up the curb to the sidewalk and laughed, remaining stooped over in front of the step.

L looked at Wammy and the man's eyes went wide, as there was no disguising the distinct titter of Raito's laugh, not when his caretaker crouched down to help Raito up and looked the brunette dead in her face.

"How is this even possible?" Wammy asked, helping Raito up. He had watched with his own two eyes as L had laid Yagami Raito in his own coffin.

"Do not be cross with me," L threw out first, because he had to make that clear. "This is also not my fault." Years of bad behavior from L had made it so Wammy was very familiar with these words when they came from his charge. He turned a very knowing look on the detective.

"Unless you have found some way to bring back the dead or you have found a fraternal twin…"

"I could only dream," L muttered, as he would probably not be so miserable if the universe had deemed to bless itself with not one but two Raitos; however, knowing L's luck, there would be no evil twin because both would be evil. "No this is Raito-kun. He may look different right now, but that is because the powers that govern the universe have turned him into a Death God and a shape-shifting one at that."

"God save the Queen," Wammy uttered, as the older man recalled the amount of trouble and danger this one person had caused for them as a human, and now he was Shinigami.

"Yes my exact sentiments," L said.

"Why has he returned then?"

"That I will explain to you in the morning," L said, slipping his jacket around Raito's shoulders so Wammy would not see the very telling rip in the shoulder of the brunette's dress.

"Where will you put him then?" Wammy asked.

L rolled up his sleeves and then bending over scooped Raito up again. "Can you park the car for me?" L asked, sidestepping the topic at hand.

Wammy could do nothing but sigh at his charge. The detective was willing to subject himself to the same dangerous situation he had placed himself in for the past year, and reasoning with L was beyond moot at this point because when it came to Raito Yagami, L had never been very reasonable to begin with.

"Of course," Wammy said. He could only hope L took all the necessary precautions. He would have a long night ahead of him factoring in Raito's presence in their current living quarters.

"I will bid you a goodnight then," L said, readjusting Raito in his arms before heading for the back entrance.

After punching in his code to the outer door and gaining entry to the elevator, L set Raito down so the brunette could lean against him, the majority of Raito's weight pressing into his chest, Raito's face right next to his own, so when L looked at the brunette he could distinctly make out the flush across Raito's cheeks and the sweep of light-colored eyelashes fluttering open and close.

"I am debating with myself if I should try to sleep with you. It is wrong to have sex with someone when they are so inebriated." L waited for a response, but when none came he slid his arm around Raito's waist, tilted her head back, and kissed the brunette, Raito not as responsive as he would have wanted but still warm and very pliant in his arms. "I will not do anything to you if you pass out," L said more to himself than to Raito. "If you completely pass out," L quickly amended, again more to himself.

The elevator let them out on an empty floor before the last two floors, which served as another layer of security in case someone had managed to get this far into the hotel. L had to punch in another access code before he made it to the second to last floor, which was where Wammy was staying. There was a flight of stairs that would take L up to his floor, but down the corridor there was an elevator. Since he was closest to the stairs anyway L turned to Raito, and taking a deep breath, he threw the brunette over his shoulder.

"I am seriously putting you on a diet," L said, as he climbed the stairs.

"Fuck off," Raito grumbled, and L laughed as Raito finally came to, the brunette trying to climb off his shoulder midway up the stairs and almost causing L to drop her, the jacket he had given to Raito sliding off her shoulders and falling to the ground.

"Wait a minute," L chuckled, and finally reaching the top of the stairs, he put Raito down, only to have to catch her again. "Here we go," L said, taking Raito by the hand this time and leading her down the hallway to his suite. L heard the smooth shift of fabric and turned around in time to see Raito shimmying out of her well-fitted dress, before discarding it on the floor and leaving it behind like a snake with its own skin. After that it did not take long for Raito to change back into his original appearance, and again putting him to lean up against the door, L realized belatedly that his keys were in the jacket that was now in the stairwell. Honestly, L breathed, he was not paying attention to much with Raito around, especially since the brunette was such a handful. Literally.

L unfolded one of his sleeve cuffs and pulled out a clip that he had stolen from Raito's hair earlier as a strange and simple memento of the night. Bending it out with his teeth, he slipped it into the lock, pushing it up and out with an audible click at the end.

L led Raito into his bedroom, and standing in front of the brunette, L sat Raito down on the edge of the mattress. "It seems I will be sleeping on the couch tonight," L sighed as he took in the incapacitated, vulnerable state of Raito, which knowing how controlled Raito had been during the case, L could not say he terribly minded

He was going to have to take a very cold shower after this; L could not help but think that he was really very tired of taking cold showers when he was around Raito, especially since he had lived by them during the Kira investigation.

"I will just…help you get ready for bed," L said, slipping his hands under Raito's shirt and dragging it down his shoulders and back. L tossed Raito's shirt behind him. "Raito-kun, if you do not stop me I will keep going…"

"Uhh…" Raito moaned, and fell backwards onto the bed, one of his hands coming up to lay against his forehead. "Give me a minute...I'm trying to break down the alcohol in my system…"

L titled his head. "I did not know you could do that."

"It's hard to do. I'm really drunk," Raito said honestly. He brushed his hand through his hair and opened his caramel colored eyes, holding L for a moment with his gaze.

Slowly, Raito slid his legs around L's waist, tightening that hold on L steadily until the brunette was able to draw L's lower half down between his legs and grind slowly up against the hardness under L's pants.

L made a sound between a groan and a mewl, letting Raito roll up against him again, Raito keeping that hold around L's lower body tight so the detective could feel every movement against his erection, especially the tip.

Making up his mind that he was not leaving until Raito was no longer a virgin, L started pulling Raito's jeans down his waist, as Raito at the same time started in on L's shirt, the brunette suddenly ripping it open in one go. L began on the closure of his own pants, but had to stop as he realized he did not have anything to prepare Raito.

L sighed, past annoyed, and reluctantly began to ease out of Raito's grasp, the brunette appearing not as willing to let go, and L contented by the fact, leaned in and kissed Raito on the cheek before lifting Raito's hands from the folds of his shirt. "I shall be back," L said, before walking out the room to forage around in the bathroom.

He found some scented bath oils in a basket, and picking through the one with the most agreeable smell, L skimmed the contents label as he walked towards the bedroom, making certain there were no ingredients that would lead to an unpleasant reaction for Raito. However, as L finally entered into the room, he slowed to a stop as Raito sat up amidst the luxurious bedding and pillows that L would throw on the floor whenever he slept, but now did not so much mind because they perfectly suited the refined creature on his bed.

Once they started back up again, L knew he would not want to part with Raito, and searching around the room for any potential interruptions, L's eyes landed on one of the pieces of furniture in the room.

Opposite the bed there was a low dresser with a mirror, and walking up to it, L pulled it from the wall, then walking between the space and the wall, he placed his foot on the back of the baseboard and kicked it forward, the dresser sliding right up against the foot of the bed.

Raito gave him a weird look. "What're you doing?"

"I would like to be able to see your face…" L said simply, climbing up on the bed and referring to the mirror on the dresser. As it was Raito's first time, L knew it would probably not be very comfortable for him on his back, no matter how much L wanted it.

"Why do you want to see my face?" Raito teased, letting L slide up behind him, L turning Raito's head so he could kiss the brunette as he flipped up the cap of the bottle of oil with his thumb, and holding it between them, he let oil drizzle down Raito's lower back and ass. L passed his hand over the oil, feeling it warm up under his fingertips, and rubbing downward with both hands now, L grabbed Raito's ass hard, spreading him and at the same time lowering his body so Raito was now spread-eagle against the mattress. He began to pour more oil down Raito's back, watching as it slid down between the cleft of his ass and further in between his legs, L's thoroughly lubricated hand finally coming around to settle on Raito's penis.

"Mmmph." Raito sunk down even more into the bed so he could press into L's slick palm, the detective pressing his index and middle against the base of Raito's shaft and rubbing those two fingers firmly against the vein in the underside of Raito's member.

Raito moaned, pulling up against the sheets suddenly, and L tightened the crook of his arm around Raito's side, so the brunette could not squirm free, slippery as everything was.

"Please relax, Raito-kun…" L said, trying not to look at Raito's face in the mirror. "You are making me very excited," L mumbled, and this time the detective, using his dominant hand, placed his thumb against Raito's entrance before slowly, firmly, massaging that digit against the ring of muscle in a tight circle. The oil had made it so after another second L's thumb pressed forward through the ring of muscle of its accord, the detective sliding it out and replacing his thumb with his middle finger.

Unconsciously, Raito was rocking his hips into L's hand, and L let that movement as well as the liberal amount of oil between them dictate their progress, L watching as his middle finger slid deeper inside Raito with each squirming thrust from the brunette, the other fingers of L's hand pressing against the sinuous curve of Raito's ass.

Finally getting to where he wanted to go, L stroked Raito's insides, feeling around for that oval-shaped bump. He found it, nudged it with the pad of his finger, and kept pressing it in a slow but deliberate circle, Raito's mouth falling open despite himself, his low moaning now acquiring a hint of voice to it.

From the base of his stomach, L took a deep breath, hoping it would help calm him down. Before L got his turn, he needed Raito to cum, mainly because he wanted Raito to enjoy himself, but he also needed the brunette as relaxed as possible so he could finally fuck him. And helping him in that front, it certainly did not hurt matters that L was dexterous in both hands. Musically inclined as he was, L had played instruments all his life, so plucking or strumming a cord, or striking or ambling over piano keys had made it so the tendons in L's fingers were flexible but resilient, and he could move his hands separately, which he was currently doing right now.

Raito cried out and on reflex almost elbowed L in the ribcage in his excitement, L blocking Raito's arm with his shin before it could connect, the detective thankful that he had seen it coming as he pinned that arm with his knee for good measure.

Feeling for the space between Raito's cock and testes, L pressed down and back, trying to find the spot where Raito would be able to distinctly feel that touch in his prostate as well, and the detective got what he was looking for as Raito's body clenched around his finger even tighter, L letting the index finger on his other hand join the middle as he started to touch Raito's prostate a little harder.

Raito sobbed louder, pulling away from him again, and L hauled Raito backwards, knowing that the brunette was really close; L just had to keep him still long enough to finish him.

During the Kira case, when L had started to realize he was becoming a little too interested in his main suspect, L had found himself perusing subjects that a year ago he would have never even considered remotely interesting—one of those topics being the male anatomy. Apparently, massaging the prostate was supposed to give a man an intense orgasm, which seemed true, especially as L watched Raito claw the sheets out of the bed, the brunette looking truly overcome, like the intensity of his pleasure was not something he had expected.

L pressed a kiss to the back of Raito's neck, the hand L had in front of Raito now working the brunette faster as the hand behind him slowed down.

L licked his lips. "Are you…?"

"Mmhmm," Raito nodded, not able to form coherent sentences but at least able to guess at L's words. "I'm almost…" L slipped his index out and let his middle finger do all the work, sliding the finger in and out faster, the oil making it so he was finger fucking Raito pretty quickly now, his finger tapping Raito's prostate so L was steadily applying pressure to that bundle of nerves, that pressure ever mounting. "L…please…" At Raito's words, L felt the pressure in his own cock constrict even further, Raito spilling out over his hand as the brunette writhed against him, and causing L to take a few more of those deep calming breaths.

Rolling Raito over onto his back, L got a good look at Raito's face post coital, and immediately began to unbutton his dress pants, nudging Raito's legs apart and letting them fall open. L lowered his pelvis between Raito's knees, easing the tip of his penis in.

Raito's arms were laying out above his head, having fallen wherever after his orgasm, and L slid his own hands into Raito's, dragging them down more towards his sides, L pressing Raito's hands more into the mattress as the detective raised himself up and finally slid into Raito without much resistance, Raito's muscles completely relaxed, the mixture of warm oil and semen making Raito's body even more yielding.

Raito opened his eyes and stared up at him, seeming to finally catch his breath, the brunette taking another breath before his lips upturned in a slow smile. "I really shouldn't be surprised by how good you are at this, especially with that brain of yours," Raito said, wrapping his legs around L's waist, and pulling L closer by that hold and further down into him. L twitched, and the sharpness of the movement suddenly shook the mattress.

"You never did tell me how much it is?" Raito crooned in his ear. "170? 180?"

L closed his eyes. Raito was going to get him off with his voice alone, and L didn't want his first time with Raito to end so quickly. L bit his lip, hard, sliding out and back into Raito in the same motion. He stopped mid-thrust, feeling himself leaking.

"You still haven't told me?" Raito purred.

L gripped Raito's hands harder. "It's 200…" he gritted.

Raito's eyes went wide. "I knew we were close, but not that close," Raito said, suddenly distracted by the way L was worrying his lip. Noticing L's hesitance to move, Raito lifted his legs without warning, letting L slide back in, and then lowered his legs dragging L out, the brunette repeating this motion until him and L had a steady pace.

"Wait," L muttered, not able to stop himself or Raito at this point as the brunette easily shifted control of the situation over to himself. "Raito-kun, I can't…"

"You don't have to hold it. We'll still fuck afterwards," Raito promised, and locking his knees even harder around L, the brunette dug his heels into L's lower back, and using his new leverage pushed his feet back and down right where L's tailbone ended, so he was forcing the detective to move even faster now, the tight hold Raito had on L making it so the detective couldn't draw himself fully out and could only fuck Raito with short, hard thrusts.

L whimpered, and Raito was finally able to wrest his hands out from under him, the brunette grabbing L by the waist so he could get him to move faster. L came hard five seconds later, and Raito let L pin his arms again and re-take control of their pace.

From the rapid squeaking of a few moments ago, the bed slowed to an almost quiet creaking sound as L rocked slowly back and forth in Raito, almost painstakingly so, the detective savoring every touch as he came down from his orgasm, the look in Raito's eyes when he did not hide it away startlingly expressive and strikingly clear. The image of Raito on the first day they'd met flashing across his mind—white Sakura trees lining the pavilion, the petals blowing about in the wind, and Raito standing there alone even amidst a crowd, staring after him as he drove away, that look of determination and cold ferocity reflected in his eyes—and L could distinctly remember thinking that he might be in trouble if the teen actually turned out to be Kira.

* * *

"Mmm," L sighed and sat up, feeling his body aching and bruised, his back on fire from the amount of scratches he had received last night and the side of his neck throbbing with some indefinite pain.

Upon waking, L had noticed that he wasn't on the bed but had woken up on the floor with Raito next to him, the brunette turned away and laying on his stomach, all the bedding strewn about them so they were a messy heap of sheets and pillows on the plush carpeting.

Looking at the clock on the nearby nightstand, L was surprised to see that it was now 11 in the morning. He had actually slept eight hours, which L could not even remember the last time he had slept that long or that strongly. L looked around for his dress pants from the night before, searching for his phone. He was actually now really behind schedule for the day, not that L minded at all, especially when he took into consideration who he had lying next to him and what had happened last night.

Finding his cell, L noticed he had a missed call from Wammy, and slowly standing up L ambled towards his suitcase in the corner, grabbed a pair of jeans, and pulled them on. L walked back towards Raito, crouching down next to him, ready to put him back on the bed, when he caught sight of something he had not been expecting.

 _Blood_. There were drops of blood on the sheet right next to Raito, a whole trail of it, and alarmed, L rolled Raito onto his back. Strangely, the detective was unable to find any trace of where the blood had come from. L placed two fingers on Raito's throat, feeling for his pulse, and was relieved to see that the brunette was fine, Raito so deep in sleep that he had not even stirred when L had moved him.

Last night, L had been careful about hurting Raito, but then again as the night had stretched on, they had gotten progressively rougher and rougher with each other. Gently, L touched a hand to the underside of one of Raito's legs and nudged it to the side, checking for blood. Again, he found nothing.

That sharp pain in L's neck flared up again, and L touched his hand this time to the juncture between his neck and shoulder, his fingers coming away with dried blood.

'Well…that was unexpected,' L thought, and standing up he leaned over the dresser that he had pushed right up against the bed. In the mirror, he could clearly see two large puncture wounds on the side of his neck. L turned to look over at the brunette who was still sleeping like the dead.

What exactly had Raito been doing to him last night?

L knew the brunette was no longer human and that should worry him on multiple levels, but L honestly could not sum up the energy to care. Not when Raito looked so perfect, the brunette tangled up in his sheets, his sprawl on his floor looking just as elegant as ever, as if he had been arranged by some painter, his face full of angelic innocence and absolutely devoid of the kind of evil that could kill a man in less than a second and not even blink about it.

Plus, L had never been too good about heeding warning signs when it came to Raito. Honestly, a sane person would have ran the moment Raito had presented himself to him in all his Death God glory. L had not only not run away, but had taken Raito to dinner and then fucked him in every position on his bed, and then twice on the floor.

Crouching down again, L slipped his hands under Raito and lifted him up, laying Raito back down on the bed. L grabbed the bloodied sheets that were on the floor, and as he was walking through the living room, he tossed them in the fireplace. He would take care of that later. He definitely did not need Wammy to see that, as it did not look good either way if L thought about it, no matter whose blood it had come from.

L grabbed one of the white t-shirts he had lying around on the couch and pulled that on as well. Wammy also did not need to see all the bruises and scratch marks on his back. He pulled the neck of his t-shirt up a little, making sure to cover the bite marks.

Making his way downstairs to Wammy's flat, L should have felt worn out, especially with the way Raito had been using him as his own personal scratching post most of the night, and his body did ache right now, but strangely it was the good kind of ache. L had not really thought about it, but he had been struggling with over a year's worth of baggage for Raito—his sexual frustration, his feelings, and his sadness over not being able to save Raito from himself. And while L knew nothing had really been resolved between them, the pain in his chest was not as suffocating a mass as it had been a day before. Honestly, he felt pretty good right now. Maybe it was the fact that he might actually have a fighting chance with Raito now. L popped the joints in his neck as he pushed open the swinging door to the kitchen in Wammy's suite.

Wammy was standing at the counter placing plates of food on a silver tray, and L came to stand right next to his care-taker, the detective picking up the kettle on the stove and pouring himself a cup of tea.

"I've made contact with the buyer and Mr. Aiber so they are up-to-date on our schedule for today. I need to leave in three hours. Will preparations be in place by then?"

"Yes, I know I am a tad behind schedule," L said, taking a sip of his tea.

"I did not wish to wake you, only to check in with you." Wammy turned to finally look over at him. "Are you going to let me know why the Young Sir is currently in your bedroom, so I can make the necessary arrangements for his stay with us?"

L sighed as Wammy's title for Raito came back in full force. As much as Wammy had seen Raito as a threat to their way of life, he had also been very interested in the brunette for the sheer fact that Raito was a genius. And not only was Raito smart, he was as smart as L, or possibly even smarter. They had both recognized that right off the bat.

Wammy had even given L specific instructions on how to "recruit" one Yagami Raito into their organization, if the teen had proven himself innocent, because at that point there was no way in hell they were going to let Raito go to the NPA.

Wammy had built a school for gifted children, after all. He had run the gamut of child prodigies and savants, and while the collected stock at the orphanage had always been extraordinary, Raito had apparently impressed Wammy so much that the older man had actually, one day, told L that if he was still having difficulties picking between Near and Mello, he should give his successorship to Raito until either boy was truly ready. Of course all of that had been contingent upon Raito's innocence, but for Wammy to even suggest that someone outside the system of the orphanage could be associated with the L name—was unheard of to the detective. It also did not hurt that in Wammy's eyes Raito had had a proper upbringing. Chess tournaments, tennis, fencing, 5 languages under his belt, multiple study abroad programs, equestrian, music lessons, several martial arts, and not to mention cram school since he was old enough to attend. Raito's mother had been no slouch and Raito had been brought up in both Eastern and Western mannerisms and etiquette from place settings, tea ceremony, ballroom dancing, flower arrangement, and cooking. Raito had all the trappings, social graces, and good breeding of a young aristocrat. L, however, knew that the deciding factor for Wammy in all of this had been the fact that Raito had absolutely no problem letting L know when he did not agree with his methods, either by words or obviously by fists, which might make for a very tense work relationship, but had kept things rather objective and produced results rather quickly.

Wammy cleared his throat. "I suppose I will have to guess at your reasoning, yet again."

L set down his cup. "I said I would let you know last night, so there is no need to badger me unnecessarily about it. I am also getting clued into the details as well, and as you know I never take anything Raito tells me to be the absolute truth. I do not know what his actual motivations are for descending to our world, but according to Raito, he has come to me in order to fulfill a contract with the Shinigami King.

"Apparently, Raito is not of the same class of Shinigami as Rem or any of the other Shinigami that possess Death notes. It is possible that he can only enforce his will upon Death Gods, not humans, and in order to maintain this position he cannot interfere with our world.

"He tells me that because his death was in effect directly caused by my actions, the Shinigami King has written me into his contract and wishes to use me as yet another means to keep track of Raito. For instance, if Raito is to descend to the human realm, he cannot simply come and go as he pleases; he must come to me."

"My word," Wammy uttered. "If that is true, then you and he are…"

"Yes, we are eternally linked. Actually," L cleared his throat, "the Shinigami King wishes to make the connection even more permanent. The same rules will bind Raito to my descendants." L took a pause. "In fact, one of the reasons why Raito was sent to me was because of the question of my descendants. You noticed his…or rather her appearance last night?"

Wammy removed a handkerchief from his pocket and began to methodically clean his glasses, as if the motion would help to calm his nerves and to further assess this complicated situation. "Are you saying he was sent down here…to bear you offspring?"

"Or kill me in my sleep," L said simply. "Let us not forget how vindictive and cunning our lovely guest can be. I know I will be putting myself in a very perilous situation, but honestly do you not think the gains out way the cons? I mean…" L looked down at his cup. "I will finally have a true heir. Raito-kun's IQ is even higher than my own, and while genetics does not always guarantee success in these matters, it certainly raises the probability when both parents have certain IQs."

"I know you have not forgotten that we have collected samples from him," Wammy said, clipping his glasses back on. "It is not worth your life to go after if you can replicate it in a laboratory."

L made an impatient sound. "Yes, and if we went that route we would have to introduce a third party that might dilute the samples. If I only have to account for myself and Raito, then the chances are greater of reproducing—"

"You are also letting your feelings cloud your judgement," Wammy said, as they were going to have to finally address the elephant in the room and the sole reason why L had Raito sleeping in his bedroom right now. "You were almost killed the first time around because of this."

L took another sip of tea. "Yes, I suppose Raito-kun and I do not have the best track record with each other, but far beyond what I may feel for him, I have been delegated a task by a power that is much greater than myself. The Shinigami-King obviously wishes for Raito to not overstep his boundaries in his duties in the Shinigami-realm, and as you know, that is seemingly Raito-kun's specialty. Raito still wishes to rule this world, and if the Shinigami King thinks that I can in some way slow or stop Raito in his machinations, then I have no problem being used as a pawn. It will not be the first time that I have to put Raito in check, and it will certainly not be the last." Looking down at his cup, L smiled to himself. "And if it guarantees me a heir from someone as perfect as Raito, I will certainly not begrudge the Shinigami King his gift for services rendered." L picked up the tray that Wammy had been preparing and began to shuffle away with his spoils.

"You have not consummated it yet?" Wammy asked, wanting to know where they stood in the level of danger, either at the mouth of the beast or inside its belly. He had also been the one to find the dress that female Raito had been wearing in the hallway this morning, ripped, and L's jacket in the stairwell.

L laughed one of those goofy laughs that Wammy had tried to break him off a long time ago, as it scared other people. "Raito-kun was very drunk. We did not do anything," L lied, and promptly walked through the swinging door and out the kitchen, so Wammy did not have the chance to call him on his flagrant lying.

L slowly pushed the door open to his bedroom and poked his head inside, Raito still having not moved an inch since he had been placed on his bed.

Setting down the tray next to him, L was not terribly surprised when Raito began to stir at the smell of food, not after what he had seen of Raito's new eating habits.

Sighing contently, Raito's eyes fluttered open and he slowly, languidly, began to sit up.

"Good morning, Raito-kun," L said, as he stepped up on the bed and crouched between Raito's legs, so as Raito sat up L was suddenly in his face, which startled the brunette a bit; Raito touching a hand to L's chest, the motion less a push than an impetus for L to sit, and L sat back down in his usual fashion.

"Good morning," Raito said, his voice still thick with sleep, but the brunette waking up in degrees, especially when he began to lean into the detective, right between the barrier of L's knees, both of Raito's arms now closing around L's mid-section as he rested his head against the center of L's chest.

"I did not mean to wake you," L said, enjoying the perfect way Raito had just sunk right down into him; and leaning over Raito, L gave him a short kiss on the lips, drew back for a second, and then kissed again, and then again, the detective changing the angle of his mouth each time, as if slowly testing to see what Raito preferred.

Raito sighed as L drew away. "Last night was…" The small smile on Raito's face was enough to suggest what he was about to say.

L felt his ears going red. "Mmm, it was…perfect," L said, and meant every word. Sex had never been like that for him before. Certainly, he enjoyed the act, but it had always been just that to him—an act, something that he performed out of necessity, to clear his head, to get rid of his frustration, and once done, he had no need for that person anymore. But with Raito, he hadn't simply been having sex with him. In L's mind, he had been making love to Raito, and that was what made all the difference.

Love. Terrifying, wonderful, all-consuming love; and as L was drawn into Raito's large brown eyes, he knew he was in a lot of trouble. Again.

Clearing his throat, L looked down between them, breaking their shared gaze, which was honestly the first time L had ever been the first one to look away. "I know it was your first time. I hope I did not hurt you."

"It would take a lot for you to hurt me now," Raito said casually, ignoring L's strange behavior. "But I do appreciate the effort. I don't mind if you're being a little forceful, especially since you know what you're doing, but if you didn't, it would have pissed me off." Reaching around L, Raito grabbed a piece of fruit from one of the plates on the breakfast tray and slipped it into his mouth. "You brought me breakfast."

"I assumed you would be hungry," L said, watching fixedly as Raito slipped another piece of fruit past his lips. "You seem to have quite the appetite." Last night L had watched Raito eat an entire eight course meal and then down an entire bottle of wine, and while Raito had always had a healthy appetite and enjoyed his food, he had eaten a lot more than L had observed him eat in the past. There was also the question of Raito's midnight snacking, if the brunette was in fact feeding on him. L scratched at his neck. "Is there a reason why you are eating so much?"

Raito was already half-way through the bowl of fruit before he looked up. "Well, I don't function solely on fear and dust, if that's what you're thinking. I need actual sustenance. Unlike the other Shinigami I actually do work, and it takes a lot to sustain this body." Raito picked up a strawberry, and still leaning into L, he slipped the piece of fruit into the detective's mouth. "Why are you really asking?"

"Because it seems you are not only getting your sustenance from food," L said, chewing noisily.

"I didn't think you would terribly mind," Raito said, slipping another strawberry into his mouth. L could not say he minded right now, especially with Raito was hanging off of him and feeding him strawberries, but that was beside the point. "You didn't seem to notice when it was happening."

"I was very preoccupied at the time," L said, as he had been too busy fucking Raito into the mattress.

"It's not like I took a lot," Raito reasoned.

"Never mind the amount," L reiterated, "I would ask you not to do it again."

Raito didn't say anything, instead choosing to reach around L and grab an apple sitting on the tray. L stared after the brunette, knowing that this was certainly not the end of it. Despite appearances and how Raito acted with his parents, the brunette had never actually been a very obedient person, and telling him to do something usually resulted in the opposite happening. It also didn't help that Soichirou-san had spoiled Raito rotten.

"So..." Raito started up furtively, and L could not help but notice the curious look on Raito's face, which usually spelled trouble. "...I noticed you were looking up different sketch recreations for 'The Creation of Adam'? You want to tell me what that's about?" Raito asked, referring to L's search history on his laptop.

L tilted his head, smiling. Well, it had not taken long for Raito's extreme inquisitiveness to rear its ugly head. "What makes you think you are allowed to go through my laptop when I am sleeping?"

"Your password wasn't hard to guess. I changed it for you by the way, though I'm flattered."

L sighed, as he should have known better than to leave his laptop unattended to with Raito around.

"So is it for your next assignment?" Raito asked, sitting up. "Or is it for a current job?"

"I am not taking any jobs currently, or L is not," the detective explained. "My other aliases on the other hand are very busy. It is a job for Eraldo Coil since he only deals with high-profit, high-profile cases. I am to retrieve several sketches of 'The Creation of Adam' that may, or may not, belong to the esteemed Renaissance man himself. I do not specialize in Art, so I must do the research in order to verify I am not dealing with a very sophisticated counterfeit."

"What's the chances that they're real?" Raito asked.

"It is being sold via black market channels, so the authenticity of a piece cannot always be properly verified. It is also supposedly a lost illustration as well, so again it has never been accounted for within any existing collection, but it is fact that Michelangelo did sketch out his frescoes before he painted them, so there is a possibility, and even the mere possibility is enough to launch a full out investigation by not only Coil, but by many other government as well as private agencies. I have been contending with them all. The question is who will get to it first." L watched Raito as the brunette waited for him to continue. "I see you are a fan."

Raito blinked, as if he had just realized that he was staring. "Who isn't?" he said. "I mean, if it is real, then it would be worth billions. The Sistine Chapel is considered the pinnacle of high Renaissance and the Creation of Adam is the centerpiece."

"Did you want to see it?" L asked, putting the offer on the table to see Raito's reaction.

Raito gave him a wary stare. "You'll be going there in person?"

"No, I never show my face for these things. If we cannot find a suitable copy-cat or pawn, then Wammy usually goes in my stead. I support him via comms." L tapped his finger to his bottom lip. "So you do not want to go?" L asked again, baiting Raito.

"I never said I... _didn't_ want to go," Raito replied, and L could not say that Raito was any less indirect and frustrating as when he had been a human. L wondered if the Shinigami King had any idea just how human Raito still remained and if they planned to do anything about it. Maybe that was one of the reasons why they wanted to limit him in his travels to this world. Even though Raito was prone to listlessness and boredom, it still did not mean that the teenager had completely removed himself from the human sphere. Quite the contrary. Raito had a voracious appetite for knowledge. The collection of texts in his room was certainly diverse, but it was also not hard to see the subjects that Raito favored: Biblical Art was one of them, not to mention Law, Political-Sociology, Religion, and Psychology. L was just glad that as far as small miracles went, he had to deal with Raito as aspiring law enforcement and not an aspiring Prosecuting Attorney. If that was the case, L would have probably had Raito gagged the entire time.

"Then that settles it," L said, making up Raito's mind for him. "I will take Wammy's place and we will leave here in two hours. You can also help me spot the forgery if that is what it is. You will certainly have the best eyes for it." One of the art books that Raito seemed to flip through the most—by the wear on the pages and his extensive notes—was a book on the Sistine Chapel, especially the entire chapter on 'The Creation of Adam.'

Apparently, the idea that God had created Adam in his exact image, and the almost contact between the two colossal figures and potential transference of power had immensely intrigued Raito, which L supposed that kind of thinking had started all the trouble in the first place….

* * *

A/N: After watching some scenes from that drama a while back, I have NO idea how people can still try to say that these two are not super gay for each other. Also thank you laetilia for the Italian translation!


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